


Peanuts and Crackerjack

by CubbieGirl1723



Series: Teacher's Pet [5]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Baseball game, F/M, Gen, San Diego Padres, gratuitous baseball references, warning for extremely dramatic baseball fans ahead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27269065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CubbieGirl1723/pseuds/CubbieGirl1723
Summary: When Logan takes Keith and Veronica to a Padres game, his true allegiance comes out.
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Series: Teacher's Pet [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819003
Comments: 21
Kudos: 46
Collections: VM Sportsball Collection 2020





	Peanuts and Crackerjack

**Author's Note:**

  * For [His_Beautiful_Girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/His_Beautiful_Girl/gifts).



> For HBG. Thank you so much for featuring my fics and showering me with love! I couldn't resist writing this to answer your question about Logan's favorite team. Thank you for the prompt!

“Where’s your Padres gear, son?”

Keith Mars, in his striped Tony Gwynn jersey and hat, stares back at Logan on his front porch. Even Veronica looks at him askance. He’s surprised to see her sporting a fitted navy San Diego t-shirt, with her blonde ponytail swinging out of the rear of her ball cap. _It could be worse_ , he figures. At least hers is navy and not brown. 

Scratching the back of his neck, Logan knocks off his own yellow hat, emblazoned with a large green N, and examines it. “Oh yeah, I guess I grabbed this one. Wallace gave it to me, said I needed more school spirit. Go, Pirates.”

Shrugging, he puts it back on and tries not to make a big deal about it. Giving Veronica a winning smile, he grabs her hand and tugs. “You ready?”

But Keith doesn’t follow them, still rooted to his welcome mat. “But...how can you go to a game with the wrong hat?”

“You have enough Padres merch on for everyone, Dad. Let’s go!”

Still grumbling about something that sounds like lucky socks, Keith eases himself down the stairs, waving off Veronica’s offer of help, and folds himself into the tiny backseat of Logan’s convertible.

At the time, it had seemed like a great idea to celebrate the start of summer vacation and take Veronica and her dad to a Padres game. Keith had initially been concerned that he wouldn’t be able to attend a game this season in person due to his health concerns, but he was healing well after a gunshot wound to the leg in the line of duty. Sucking up to Veronica’s dad with Padres tickets was too good to resist, so Logan pulled some strings with an old friend to score them excellent seats. 

But now...now that he was actually doing this, he doubted his plan. 

Telling Keith Mars that he was a Padres fan had just been a little white lie at the time. The truth never had to come out. Which would have been considerably easier if he hadn’t invited him to this stupid game in the first place.

Mentally kicking himself, Logan startles out of his reverie as Veronica grabs his hand across the console, linking her fingers through his.

“This is nice, you know? Relaxing with you, without an entourage of high school students hanging out, too. And it was nice of you to do this for my dad.” She adds the last bit in a whisper with a glance towards the backseat.

Her genuine smile, the light in her eyes, threatens to crack him wide open.

_You’re such a goner for her, Echolls._

“Sure.” Logan squeezed her fingers. “I love baseball.”

That, at least, is true.

* * *

Logan doesn’t hang out with his old high school crowd much these days, on account of the fact that he was an asshole during his formative years and had terrible taste in friends. But Luke Haldeman had been half-way decent back then and Logan’s glad they’ve stayed in touch. Obsessed with baseball, Luke’s college career was short-lived but after graduation he’d been offered a job in the Padres front office and he’s never been shy about offering tickets and perks to Logan.

Pulling out all the stops to impress Veronica—and okay, mostly her dad—Logan had given Luke a call a few days ago and worked out the details. Parking at the 6th and K Parkade so the stadium was easily accessible for Keith, their walk was short. He insisted that he was fine and left his cane at home. Aside from a tiny hitch in his step, he maneuvered well. 

PetCo might not be his favorite place to catch a game, but Logan can admit that it’s a nice stadium. Nestled between high rises downtown and with a view of the Coronado Bridge, its friendly, fun atmosphere fits San Diego. Squinting at his ticket, Keith stops short and stutters when he realizes they are sitting three rows behind home plate. Even Veronica’s eyes go wide as she takes in the view of the field. 

“Logan,” she hisses as they slide into their seats, Veronica in the middle, “How much did you pay for this?”

“Don’t worry, Bobcat. I know a guy.” She pins him with a skeptical brow and he raises his hands in surrender. “Seriously. I bet Luke’ll swing down soon and you can meet him.”

Her harumph is drowned out by Keith’s exclamations of joy. “The grass! Look at the grass, Veronica! I swear I can see every blade from here. If Norris spits behind the plate, we might feel it!”

“Uh,” Logan leans over and whispers in Veronica’s ear, “is it a good thing if we get spit on by the catcher?”

“The best.” She pats his knee and relaxes back into her seat, gazing out at the expanse of green grass while her dad prattles on, sharing Padres facts and pointing out stadium landmarks.

“I haven’t seen him this excited in years,” she murmurs to Logan after Keith trails off, probably lost in a daydream about playing catch with Tony Gwynn. “Thanks for the fun treat. Although this wasn’t quite the vacation I had in mind when you mentioned it the other day.”

Logan can’t help the grin that splits his face, knowing she had been thinking about his suggestion that they take a trip together this summer. 

“Oh, this isn’t our vacation.” He had sprung the idea on her before school was out but she hasn’t mentioned it since. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking about it, and if she regretted her acceptance or not. That’s something he’s learning about Veronica—taking things slow and giving her space is necessary. Moving from frantic secret rendezvous to dating out in the open had been an adjustment, for sure. But they’ve been together for almost five months and, without pushing it, he’s been trying his best to see where things stand. His own heart is undoubtedly tied into a Veronica-shaped knot but it wouldn’t do to tell her that yet. 

“No, I have other ideas in mind for you,” he continues, bobbing his eyebrows suggestively.

“Not in front of my dad,” she chastises through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing at him.

“He’s not paying attention.” Logan waves in the direction of Keith, staring glassy-eyed at the field, enraptured.

Veronica acknowledges the truth of his statement with a nod of her head, conceding the point. “Tell me about these ideas, then. At least, the PG version.” 

“Guess.”

“Hmm.” She taps her finger on her chin, faux thoughtful. “Disneyland?”

“No.”

“Magic Mountain?”

“Hell, no.”

“Hey, I love rollercoasters.”

“Guess again.”

“Mount Rushmore?”

He turns up his nose. “There’s nothing in South Dakota. It’s ridiculously boring.”

“The beach?”

“We live in SoCal.”

“Skiing in Aspen, then?”

“You can’t ski there in June.”

“You’ve been?” Veronica raises a brow, this time not faking her surprise as he nods. “Logan...I have to ask you something serious.”

Uh-oh. He tries to keep his face impassive as she shifts in her navy stadium seat to face him. 

“Are you rich?”

“Uh—”

Thankfully, he’s saved from an answer by a beer vendor’s shout, and he jumps to his feet, pulling out two twenties and flagging him down. After passing plastic cups to Veronica and a grateful Keith, he sits back down and flashes her a grin but she’s apparently not dissuaded. After a surreptitious glance at her dad, who’s not paying them any attention, she resumes her interrogation. 

“Well?” But instead of waiting for an answer, she plows on. “I don’t mean to be crass but we’ve been dating for five months and—” he notes with delight that she rounded up “—I think it’s a fair question for me to ask.”

“Kinda?” Logan hedges, scratching the back of his neck.

“What does ‘kinda’ mean? Is that, like, upper middle class? Because—”

“‘Kinda’ means my parents are famous actors and when my mom divorced my dad, she took him for all he was worth, which was a lot. I have a trust fund and...yeah. I’m rich.” 

Grimacing at her open mouth and wide eyes, he rushes on. “But I don’t live on that. I only tap into it for vacations every now and then. Maybe I’ll use it for a downpayment on a house someday. But my teacher’s salary covers my day to day stuff. Is that a problem?”

“What about your car?” she asks faintly.

Stupid flashy convertible. If he didn’t love it so much, he’d trade it in for something beige and boring. “My mom bought it for me as a birthday present when I turned twenty-five.”

“My dad bought me a South Park coffee mug when I turned twenty-five.”

“It’s really not a big deal for me. I don’t think about it that much.”

“Only people who have money don’t think about it,” she murmurs, gazing out at the skyline visible beyond the outfield.

Logan’s heart drops. Is she going to break up with him...because he comes from money? Is there a term for the opposite of a gold-digger? 

Before his panic can really ramp up to full speed, Veronica laces her fingers through his and sets their joined hands on her thigh. 

“Is a big deal that I definitely don’t come from money?”

“No! I would never care—”

“And so it would be ridiculous if I cared, either.” Shaking her head at herself, she moves the brim of her cap out of the way and brushes a tiny kiss on his cheek. “Sorry I freaked out. It was dumb. But, uh, let’s keep this between us.” 

She jerks her head in her dad’s direction. “I’d hate for him to know and think he can take you and your black AmEx to the team store. He’d empty your trust fund for Padres memorabilia in a hot minute.”

Chuckling, Logan’s heart rate returns to normal as she strokes her thumb over the back of his hand. She doesn’t let go of his fingers during the National Anthem and the ceremonial first pitch, and that, more than anything, lets him know they really are okay. 

Logan relaxes, enjoying the warm sun, the smell of hot dogs and popcorn, the peaceful, easy pace of the baseball game. Keith leaps to his feet—Logan hopes he doesn’t hurt himself—when the Padres score in the first and even Veronica surprises him by getting into the action. The Diamondbacks take the lead in the third, Keith swearing all the while, but San Diego turns the tables again in the fifth, making the score 3-2. 

After the players head to the dugouts between innings, Keith stands and stretches. “I’m gonna visit the bathroom and grab some nachos,” he declares. “You kids want anything?”

“Nah, but thanks, Dad.”

As he ambles off, Logan snakes his arm around Veronica, pulling her close and dropping a kiss on the top of her head. 

“This is nice.” She leans into him. “Thanks for inviting me, and bringing my dad, too. You know, this scores you points with him for, like, ever.”

He sure hopes so. He’ll probably need them.

“What would I have to do to score points with you, Mars?” Trying to nuzzle her neck, he knocks his hat off when it gets in the way of his goal. 

Her voice comes out breathy and goosebumps are visible on her skin despite the heat. “You could tell me where you want to go on vacation,” she murmurs, resuming their previous discussion.

“Well, what would that get me?” Logan continues to whisper in her ear. “I mean, are we talking third base action here?”

Veronica snorts. “Third? Try first.”

“Only first base for that kind of information? I don’t think so.”

“Are you implying my kisses aren’t worth it? Because you were singing a different tune last night. I’m thinking—”

“Logan!” Straightening, Logan runs a hand through his hair as Luke Haldeman slides into Keith’s vacant spot. “You enjoying the game so far?”

“Hey, man.” Reaching over Veronica, he shakes his friends hand as she adjusts her hat and pretends they didn’t just get caught practically making out. “These seats are amazing, thanks for the tickets.”

He introduces Veronica and they make small talk for a few minutes before Luke declares he needs to get back to work and takes off. 

“Now what were you saying, Veronica? Something about third base?”

“Third base?” Keith echoes, reclaiming his seat. “Did I miss a good play?”

“Oh, um, no, Dad. Logan’s friend, Luke, was just telling me that Middlebrooks is his favorite player. But you know me, I’m hoping we get to see Kimbrel pitch.”

Impressed not only with her baseball knowledge but how fast she thinks on her feet, Logan hopes his face doesn’t give him away.

“Who’s your favorite player, Logan?” Keith asks.

 _Shit_. He should have seen this coming.

“I only wonder because if you want to get this personalized, you can.” Reaching into the plastic shopping bag at his feet, Keith pulls out a Padres cap and hands it to Logan. “As a thank you for today. You really should have one.”

Grimacing, Logan stares at the hat. It’s...hideous. Brown and yellow with the interlocking SD logo and he can’t—he just can’t put the offensive thing on his head. With a sigh, he rests his elbows on his knees and twists it around in his hands.

“Veronica, I have something else I need to confess to you.”

Her eyes snap to his and Keith sits up straighter, forehead creasing in a frown.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lied about it. I wanted to make a good impression, but it’s gone on too long.” Taking a deep breath, he plunges ahead. “I’m not a Padres fan.”

“But—but you—you said—” She stumbles over her words, face registering her shock.

“I know. I lied.”

“Do you even like baseball, son?” Keith’s easy going demeanor shifts into what must be ‘sheriff mode.’ His eyes turn shrewd and instead of schlumpy, he seems coiled, alert, ready to strike.

Pressing his lips together, Logan nods and tries to think of a way to explain this. 

“Keith, why are you a Padres fan?”

“I’ve always been a Padres fan. I’ve lived in Southern California my whole life and—”

“See, it’s about where you grew up. My dad grew up in Detroit, he was a Tigers fan. But I—”

“You grew up in L.A.” Veronica cuts him off, horrified. “Moved to Neptune when you were in high school. Logan...are you trying to tell me you’re a Dodgers fan?”

“Yes. I really lo-like you, Veronica.” Catching himself before he says too much, he rushes on. “I’d do a lot for you. But I’ve gotta be true to my roots. I can’t wear this hat.”

Placing the offensive item carefully in her lap, he gazes back and forth between her and her dad, watching for their reactions but their countenances stay impassive.

“You know,” her dad starts, and Logan’s heart sinks. He should probably just leave now. “I admire a man who is loyal to his team.”

“What?” Veronica and Logan question simultaneously. 

“Well,” Keith gestures around at the stadium. “Look at this view. These seats. This amazing day. He doesn’t even like the Padres and he did all this.”

Veronica glares at him, crosses her arms over her chest. “Wait a minute. He’s bought your affection! You like him because of the good seats!”

“That’s not true!” Keith shoots back. “He’s a good man and good for you. But... I can forgive him for being a Dodgers fan because of the good seats. Plus, a Dodgers fan giving this much money to the Padres is pretty satisfying.”

Chuckling, he leans back and focuses on the game, obviously done with their conversation. Logan can’t believe Keith is on his side. He did not see this coming. Clearing his throat, he leans towards Veronica, pitching his voice low. 

“What about you, Veronica? Will you accept my bribe?”

“Not even close.” But her eyes dance as she smiles at him and puts the ugly Padres hat backwards on his head, pulling him in for a kiss. “I’m getting something way better out of you than a baseball game, Moneybags. Vacations, dinners out, you’ll be paying for this little lie for years to come.”

Laughter bubbles up in Logan’s chest at her teasing tone. Yeah, he thinks he can live with that.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to DarkVoid116 for his help describing PetCo and thank you to ayyohh for her excellent beta work!
> 
> Just in case you were wondering, the Padres did win this game, 4-2. For Keith, obviously.


End file.
